Have you ever had thoughts like these?
- This is just how life is and there’s not much I can do about it.
- He/she/it makes me feel angry (or irritated, frustrated, etc.).
- If I want something done right I have to do it myself.
- I’m always doing things for others, but what about me?
- There are no challenges or problems, only opportunities!
How we experience each facet of life—physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual—is ultimately determined by our own perceptions, attitudes, thoughts, and behaviors, or what you can think of as filters that act like tinted lenses through which we see the world. We may be conscious or unconscious of each of our filters, and some may serve us well while others not at all.
“We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are.” —Unknown
In essence, our lives are a perceptual illusion. Or, stated more powerfully, we create our own realities.
iPEC, the ICF-accredited coaching training school through which I’ve been trained, describes these filters in terms of seven levels of energy, ranging from a highly catabolic (negative, destructive, constricting) level 1 energy to a highly anabolic (positive, expansive, limitless potential) level 7. By developing a deeper awareness of which energy level(s) we are experiencing at any given moment and why, and by learning to consciously shift our energy in ways that best serve us, we can develop personally effective ways of being that positively influence and change not only ourselves but also all those with whom we interact. This is the basis of iPEC’s Energy Leadership™ process.
Our overall level of satisfaction in all areas of our lives—relationships, family, health and wellness, work, finances, etc.—is strongly correlated to the average energy level that we default to, meaning that the more we choose to live at higher, more anabolic energy levels, the greater our sustained sense of purpose, fulfillment, and joy. Generally speaking, most people unconsciously react to the world rather than consciously respond to it, but we don’t have to be this way.
The work that my clients and I do together is rooted in this energy philosophy, as well as in the fundamental belief that we each create our own reality and that the answers we seek lie within ourselves. Walking your path is not simply about identifying and living your life purpose. It’s also about how you choose to experience this journey, and how you choose to show up in all that you do.
In the next few weeks, I will be excitedly announcing new offerings, beginning with iPEC’s Energy Leadership Index™ assessment, a proprietary and highly accurate attitudinal assessment that quantifies your energy composition. It’s an excellent way to understand how and why you experience life the way you do, and to decide if that’s how you want to continue experiencing it, or if you want to live differently.